Love For The King
by FanFixiePixie
Summary: Lavitz and Albert soon discover their love for each other, but will this love last or meet a tragic end? YAOI
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Alright, this is my first fan fic, so please be kind.  This takes place before Lavitz dies.  There will be references made to the other characters but they will have minor parts in the story.  So, basically this story doesn't follow any of the guidelines of the game too often.  Just disregard the storyline of the game, clear your thoughts, and just concentrate on the world that I have made for the characters.  The story revolves around Lavitz and Albert's growing love for each other.  So, I hope that you enjoy what I have written so far.

Disclaimer: I don't own this game.  Everything to do with Legend of Dragoon is owned by Sony and Squaresoft. 

**********

I have always been there by his side for as long as I can remember.  I vowed to him and to myself that I would always protect him from any harm.  But, I soon discovered that I didn't just do this because of being a knight, but because I also had growing feelings for him.  Strong feelings for him were taking over and they far surpassed that of a loyal knight to his king.

The day I first knew of these feelings was a triumphant one.  Not just triumphant because I knew, but also because myself and Dart had defeated the deadly three-headed dragon that had appeared in the abandoned Dragon's Nest.  We also had the help of a very persuasive King Albert.

I feared for the safety of the king, but he does have a way with words that would make anyone allow him to do or say anything as he pleased.  This is one of the things I had to ignore and not allow him to convince me of what I thought was the safest thing to do otherwise.  Although, that day, something came over me and he had gotten his way.

Albert wasn't the best at fighting, seeing as I never allowed him to put himself in any danger while traveling.  Therefore, he had never fought a real monster before in battle.  Seeing what the situation was, I feared for his well-being.

_~He is strong, but he doesn't know how to use his strength to the fullest~_

This was the only thing that I could think of at that moment.

Dart knew that Albert would be alright and he finally convinced me of this with a little influence.

"He'll be fine Lavitz," Dart told me.

"I know, but, it's my duty to protect him…if anything were to happen to him, I don't know what I'd do…" I trailed off.

Dart grabbed my shoulders and shook me as he stared me straight in the eyes. 

"He can take care of himself.  You know as well as I do that it's true.  Calm down and just let him fight," Dart half yelled at me.

The way Dart said this to me at last made me feel better and it made me see that I was treating Albert to much like a child.  I knew that nothing would happen, I just let my feelings get the best of me.  

While we were preparing for the battle that awaited us, I noticed how muscular Albert's physique was.  I saw that he was a strong fighter and if I were to teach him more, that he could soon surpass me in his strength.  It never occurred to me until now that Albert really was a grown man that could take care of himself.  I needed to lighten up and let him take charge once in awhile.  It did seem strange that he had never mentioned how protective I was and how I was always the one to make his decisions for him when danger was ever near.  Never once did I let him choice or even bother to ask him what he felt he wanted to do.  

Finally realizing this, I knew that my feelings for him were not the protective kind of an older brother.  I saw that these feelings filling my body and mind were much more than that.  Really, they had always been that way, it just was never apparent and this strong before.  Feelings had been growing for all these years and now they were manifesting into the thoughts and emotions that someone would express towards a lover.

_~Could this be true?  My feelings are more than just that of a knight dedicated to his king.  I'm starting to fall in love with him…~_

The soft and gentle voice of Albert brought me back to the matter at hand. 

"Lavitz, are you alright?" Albert spoke, the concern apparent in his voice.

"Oh…King Albert, yes I'm fine.  Thank you for your concern," I spoke hurriedly back.

"I'm glad to hear that you're alright," Albert smiled at his comrade.  "One more thing…please don't be so formal when we're traveling.  You know I don't like to be called by the title of King when we journey."

"I'll be sure to remember that King…I mean Albert," I shyly replied as I turned my head so he would not see my flushed cheeks.

"If that's settled, then let's be on our way," Albert spoke excitedly.

As we made our way to the heart of the Dragon's Nest, I couldn't help but to take the occasional glance towards Albert.  He noticed I was watching him and assured me that he would be fine.  I smiled back and nodded; if only he knew the real reason behind the looks I gave him.  Many thoughts began to fill my head as we walked alongside each other.  I couldn't help but to think whether or not Albert would feel the same way about me if I were to tell him the truth about my feelings.  My immediate thoughts were that he wouldn't have the same feelings to offer back to me.  But, in the back of my head, I saw hope and something told me that I wasn't the only one who felt this way.

We made it to the resting place of the dragon and I desperately wanted to tell Albert to back away and stay out of danger.  I knew that even if I expressed my concern that he would still fight beside Dart and I so that he could finally prove himself to both of us.  We looked around and Albert was the first one to spot the dragon coming down at us from above.  All of us dropped down to the ground and got back up at once to pull out our weapons for the battle.

Albert attacked with brutal strength and I could see the shear determination in his eyes.  He wasn't going to let this be the first and last battle that he would ever participate in.  

The battle was a bloody and gruesome one.  All of us were able to walk away with only a few minor cuts and bruises, as oppose to the bloody pool that surrounded the severed head of the dragon.  Surprisingly enough, the dragon was easier than any of us had anticipated.  We all congratulated each other and Dart and I praised Albert for a job well done.

"Not bad for someone who's never fought in a real battle before," Dart smirked.

"It was definitely a new experience for me.  I think I'll have to partake in battles more often.  The excitement and fear of it all gives one a relatively large adrenaline rush," Albert happily said out of breath.

"You've certainly proved yourself to be a worthy fighter.  I'm relieved that no one was seriously injured.  I'm also glad that Dart talked me into letting you participate in our combat, your highness," Lavitz grinned at Albert as he bowed down before him.

"Lavitz, you know what I told you about that!" Albert said as the frustration built up.

"I know perfectly well what you said," I spoke with playfulness.

To Albert and Dart this comment meant nothing to them.  The only meaning that it held for the two of them was the fact that I was being a smart ass.  To me, it was a way to express myself to him the only way I knew how. 

As we made our way back the way we came, Dart and Albert were talking, but I couldn't clearly make the words out.  I knew that it had begun and that soon I would be confessing my love to Albert.  

_~All I have to do now is find a way to tell him how I feel.  The moment has to be just right.  But, when will that moment come?~_

These were the only thoughts that coursed through my mind as we made our way back to Bales. 

                                                                                                            **********

I wandered around aimlessly for the week after we slew the dragon.  Sleepless nights were upon me and I began to derive my plan to tell Albert the truth.  My state of mind wasn't clear at all and after days of staring at the ceiling all night and drifting through the halls, it suddenly struck me.  I decided that I would pull him aside in the day and let him know my feelings.  This was a pretty straight forward plan, but my thoughts were too jumbled and clouded to think of anything else.

_~Please let this work~_

As I rolled off of my bed that day and stumbled down the hall, I saw Albert walking towards me.

_~Please work…don't make a fool of yourself…Shut up and calm down Lavitz!~_

I could feel the palms of my hands become moist with sweat caused by my nervousness.  My knees began to feel weak and the next thing I knew, they were buckling under my weight.  Albert noticed this and ran to my side.

"Sir Lavitz, are you feeling ill?"  The concern was apparent in his voice as he helped to support me.

My voice filled with nervousness as I replied, "I'll be fine my Lord…but, I do need to talk with you privately."

"What does this concern?" Albert inquired

"It is a very important matter.  I have been fighting with myself for awhile about whether to tell you this or not.  I have finally made the decision to tell you; otherwise this secret may very well eat me alive inside."  My voice becoming more and more strained as I went on, "Will you listen to what I have to say and not speak until I am finished?"

"If that is what you desire, then I shall listen…please go on."  His voice sounded almost fearful of what was to come when he spoke.

I lead him to another room, while he still held onto my arm to support me.  I chose to be seated on the oversized couch that was placed in the middle of the room.  I encouraged Albert to do the same, motioning for him to sit beside me.  My head was down as I began to gather my thoughts for the coming moment.  Albert turned to me and put his hand on my shoulder to let me know that everything would be fine.

_~But would it?~_

Soon after I began to tell him everything.  "I realized last week while we were at the Dragon's Nest, that I hadn't ever listened to you while we traveled.  You are a grown man…I know that.  It occurred to me why I never let you do what you want."

I lifted my head to look at Albert.  His eyes were full of concern as he nodded for me to go on.

"I want to protect you.  Not just because it's my job…but…because I care for you very much."

I paused, turned to Albert, and looked him straight in the eyes.  Puzzlement filled the King's face as he tried to figure out where he was going with this.  He knew that Lavitz cared for him and just wanted to protect him.  Albert cared very much for him as well and truthfully he didn't mind him taking charge of the journeys.

"Albert…King Albert…I'm falling in love with you…" Lavitz trailed off to see what Albert would do.  When he didn't say anything, Lavitz continued.  "I've always felt this way; it just wasn't until that day at the Dragon's Nest that I knew what the feelings truly were."

Lavitz frantically searched Albert's eyes for a sign.  When he couldn't tell what he was thinking, Lavitz lost all hope.  Unexpectedly, Albert reached over and cupped Lavitz's face.  He brought his face to his and leaned in so that they could look eye to eye.

"Lavitz…I'm falling in love with you too," Albert pronounced with a growing smile upon his face.

Those were the words that I had longed to hear and now they rung in my ears.  The words spoken by Albert were heavenly and it made shivers run down my spine.  I stared longingly into his eyes, when all of a sudden Albert leaned in further and I knew what was to come.  I felt the softness and warmth of his lips press against mine.  My whole body became completely relaxed and I was his.  It was a loving kiss that made both of feel closer to one another.

Albert slowly moved away and opened his eyes to gaze into mine.  He smiled and his eyes lit up as he fully realized what had just taken place.  I knew that it was as good for him as it had been for me.  I smiled back and reached over to stroke his cheek as we leaned into one another once again.

We both knew in our hearts that this was the beginning of a wondrous and beautiful relationship that would last for as long as we both shall live.  

*This is the end of Chapter 1.  I hoped you enjoyed it and I'll be sure to post the next chapter as soon as possible.  Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:  And the moment you've all been waiting for…chapter 2! Sorry that it has taken me so long to post this chapter. I haven't had much time to myself the past week.  In this chapter Albert is still remembering and it kind of jumps around to different events.  Also, Meru and Haschel make an appearance and I know that they weren't around when Lavitz was.  I just wanted to tell you so that you don't get confused.  The story will soon be taking place in the present; you just have to wait a little longer.  I hope that you enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own this game.  Everything to do with Legend of Dragoon is owned by Sony and Squaresoft. 

                                                                        **********

"Albert, sweetheart, open your eyes," I whispered into Albert's ear.

The sun was peering down through the window in front of me and the room became brilliantly lit with the magnificent glow of the rising sun.  The ray of lights coming in made Albert's face vibrantly light up so that you could see all of his defined features.  As I gazed down at him my mouth formed into a small smile.  I leaned down and gave Albert a small kiss on the tip of his nose just as his eyes fluttered open.  Albert had turned his head to the side to ward off the bright rays of light flowing into the room.  He turned his head back and blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the intensity of the daylight.  Once he recovered, he smiled and held out a hand for me to take.  I gladly accepted this gesture and reached out to clasp my hand with his.

This moment was important to me, because I finally got to know the real Albert and I truly let him into my life.  I remember the day was jumbled and in a way, almost frantic.  We had talked about a number of things the previous night, after discovering our love for each other.  The evening had become full of our conversations.  We discussed many things and our feelings, emotions, thoughts, and concerns were all expressed and openly talked about.

The main issue that seemed to present itself was how we were ever going to tell everyone about what was going on.  Of course, to us it was a joyous occasion and we felt that it called for a celebration.  On the other hand, we didn't know what the others were going to do or how they would react and that made us both fear the day that we would tell.  In the end, we decided that it would be best to wait it out for the time being and tell everyone when we felt it would be the right time. 

"Is it morning already?"  Albert inquired. 

"That it is," I spoke softly.  "We must have worn ourselves out from all of our talking last night."

"Indeed."  Albert spoke more slowly and serious as he continued, "I'm glad that we are together now."  Albert smiled up at me.  "There is no one else that I could imagine myself with."

The words touched my heart and made me feel warm and comforted.  I laid my head down on his chest as I replied.  "I feel the same way."  Although I wanted to stay this way, I had to question, "Should we go and see the others, so that they won't worry?"

"Not yet," Albert spoke confidently.  "They can wait awhile longer."

The smile upon my face began to grow and I could feel my face begin to grow warmer.  Albert noticed this and smiled, knowing very well how he made me feel at that moment.  I leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the check.  As I pulled away, I could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"You are such a tease."

Albert knew I was playing hard to get and I could see that he was up for the challenge.  He reached around and put his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me in closer to him.  Our lips met and the kiss was deep, passionate, and loving.  I felt my face begin to grow warm again and I felt embarrassed about it.  Albert just chuckled and rolled me over to his side to embrace me.  We laid there in each other's arms for most of the day, not speaking, just enjoying each other's company. 

For the next week, Albert and I spent every waking moment together.  We knew the boundaries at this point and both of us made sure that the other wouldn't cross the line until both of us were ready.  We spoke of many things and I couldn't believe how long we could just sit and talk.  Neither one of us had told anyone what had been going on between us for the past week.  We knew that we wouldn't be able to hide the truth forever and neither one of us wanted to keep the secret from our friends.  Both of us agreed that this Saturday afternoon would be the day to announce the news to everyone.  

"Are you sure?"  I questioned. 

"Of course I'm sure.  Everyone's already here, so let's not keep them waiting and tell them the good news."

Albert walked over and embraced me while planting a small kiss upon my mouth. 

"You worry too much, you know that?"  Albert spoke looking me in the eyes.  "Now, let us be on our way," he beamed as he reached down for my hand.

We walked with our fingers laced as we proceeded down the hall to the conference room.  When we reached the large door leading into the room, I looked over at him.  Albert smiled back at me, letting me know that everything would be alright.  We unlaced our fingers so that we could make a proper entry into the room.  Both of reached out a hand to push the doors open and enter the room.  Everyone was scattered about the room, sitting on various chairs and couches.  When everyone saw us walk in, they all stood up to greet us.  All of them had the same questioning look on their faces, seeing as they had no idea why they had been called there that day.  Dart was the first to speak.

"What's wrong?  Why have we all been called here so suddenly?"  Dart sounded anxious as he spoke those words.  

"Nothing's wrong Dart."  Albert continued, "Myself and Lavitz have called you all here today because we have a very important announcement to make."

Meru jumped up immediately and asked, "What's so important that you had to call us all here?  You know, my day was going just fine…"

Haschel cut Meru off when he put his hand on her shoulder.  "Clam down Meru!  Obviously this is important enough for all of us to be here at the same time."

Meru bent her head down low and sat down once again on the couch alongside Haschel.  She felt disappointed and a little dim-witted at that moment since Haschel had to make her shut up.  It wasn't her fault, that's just her personality.  Meru looked up and began to eye Albert and me, trying to figure out what it was.  Finally, she settled down and told them that she was ready to hear what we had to say.

I decided that I would be the first one to speak, since Albert had been taking all the leads lately.  I took a step forward and looked around the room nervously at everyone.  My eyes turned to Albert and he just smiled at me and nodded for me to go ahead and talk.  When I averted my eyes away from him and looked at all of my friends sitting there, I couldn't help but feel a little anxious to get it over with.  Everyone had a puzzled look on their face and the same thing was running through their minds. 

My mouth began to move and words were formed.  I could hear the sound of my voice and the tension was apparent.  But, I had to go on.

"Myself and Albert would like to inform all of you that…" I had to shake my head and comprise myself once again before I continued.  "We want to tell you all that we are in a relationship with one another, romantically." 

_~There…I said it.  Please, everyone be able to accept this.~_

I stood there uneasy and turned my face away from everyone.  

"When did this happen?"  Dart asked. 

Albert stepped forward and spoke.  "Just last week, as a matter of fact.  We discovered our love for each other and we felt that we needed to let you know sooner or later.  Sooner seemed to be better, so that's why we called you all here."

Everyone looked at each other and they didn't know what to do or say at that moment.  They all seemed to be shocked, but after the initial surprise, all of them were fine with the situation.  I guess they just weren't expecting that kind of news.  Soon after this, each one of them came over to personally congratulate us.

"I'm glad that you two are happy now.  Be sure to cherish that love."  Rose had a sad way of saying this as she turned to leave the room. 

"Please Rose…don't go.  Let us all stay and talk awhile," Albert said while he walked over to where Rose was standing. 

"If you really want me to stay, then I guess I can't say no," she said lightning up a little.

For the rest of that day and night, we all sat in the conference room and talked about things to come and things in the past.  Albert and I cuddled together on one of the couches and no one seemed to mind the fact that we were doing so.  That night, we realized that we didn't have to keep anything from our friends, because they would always support us no matter what. 

After what had happened that night myself and Albert felt a lot better about how things had gone.  Once everyone had left the castle, Albert had invited me up to his room.  We stayed there and held each other the whole night as we felt the relief of getting the news off of our chests.  The burden had been lifted and now we didn't have to be afraid to express our love for one another in front of others.  

For the next month, everything in our lives seemed to be going great.  Albert and I would go out together often in the afternoons.  We made a whole day of browsing the shops for little trinkets and new improvements for weaponry and armor, always making sure that we were ready for anything, just in case something was to happen.  Often times we would go out for lunch or a late dinner and just sit off in the corner and enjoy each other's company.  Other days, we would stay in and eat to enjoy the peacefulness and seclusion.  

Out of nowhere, one night Albert had suddenly decided that he was going to visit his uncle at Kazas.  He felt that there was some business he needed to attend to and that he wanted to get it over and done with as soon as possible.

Albert spoke softly as we lay there in each others arms, "Lavitz…I've decided that I want to go to Kazas to speak with my uncle."

"What do you mean?"

Albert looked at me as he spoke. "I have some business that I must attend to.  I hope that you don't mind that I decided to do this so suddenly."

"No…you just caught me off guard…that's all.  Is this business that you can't tell me about?"  I asked, seeing as I wanted to know what was so important.

"It's nothing serious, I just haven't seen him for awhile and I would like to talk to him about a few important matters." 

I reached over and ran my finger over his cheek.  "Since it is important business, then I will let you go and deal with this on your own."

"Ah, you don't want to go with me?"  Albert said while getting a little sad.

"It's not that I don't want to go with you.  I just feel that if it's between you and him that I shouldn't interfere.  Besides, you can bring some of the guards with you for protection."

"But, it won't be the same without you.  I really wish you would change your mind." 

I leaned in and gave him a kiss on the forehead and looked him in the eyes.  "You know I love you Albert.  Don't you ever doubt that."  I paused for a moment then began to  speak again.  "I will always protect you.  I know it doesn't sound like me, but I really don't want to get in the way."

"If that's how you feel, then I guess I can't change your mind.  I know that you will always be there to protect me and I've never doubted your love for me."

Albert reached over and ran his hand up and down my arm, causing shivers of excitement to course through my body.  I knew that what I said had made him upset and to tell the truth, I don't know what came over me.  The words just seemed to come out of my mouth, without me even thinking about what I was saying.  I was disappointed at myself, but I decided that maybe the time apart would truly test our love for one another.  Albert brought me out of my thoughts when I felt the warmth of his lips on my neck.  He was planting little kisses on my neck and then he brought his head up to mine.  Our lips touched and we fell into a deep kiss.  I wrapped my arms around him and began to kiss back.  Both of us wanted to, but knew that now wouldn't be the right time.  We stopped ourselves before it went any further and decided that now would not be the best time to take things to another level.  Instead we fell asleep in each others arms.  In the morning I awoke to find that I was alone in the bed.  Beside the bed, on the table lay a note that said in very neat handwriting:

_To my dearest Lavitz,_

_            I am sorry that I did not stay until you awoke.  I felt that it might be better for me to just leave on my own so that we wouldn't have to feel the sadness of saying good bye to one another.  Don't worry about me for I have taken two guards along for the journey.  I promise that I will be back soon.  I love you and I'll be thinking about you always._

_Your__ Love,_

_Albert_

"I'll be thinking about you too," I said whispering to myself as I laid back down, hoping to see Albert's face in my dreams.

                                                                        *****Two Days Later*****

"Lavitz!"  Dart yelled out as he made his way to my room.

I got up from my bed where I had been enjoying a quiet nap by myself.  I had been sleeping most of the time for the past two days, so that I wouldn't have to feel the sadness of being alone.  I wanted to be with Albert and I kept regretting the fact that I chose to let him go without me.  I slowly walked over to the door to see what all the yelling was about.

"What is the problem Dart?"  I questioned as I opened the door.

"It's urgent!  We have to leave at once!"

"What…why?  What is the meaning of this?"  I asked in confusion.

Dart ran into my room and grabbed everything that I would need for battle and hurriedly came over to me, placing the items in my arms.  He still hadn't told me what was going on when he grabbed my arm and tugged, encouraging me to run with him.  I mad my legs run and asked again as we ran out of the castle.

"It's about Albert."

My heart sank at the mention of his name and I knew that what Dart was going to say wouldn't be good.

"What about Albert?"  I said, almost tripping.

"He's being held captive at Hellena Prison.  I just found out and I ran here as fast as I could to tell you." 

"I knew I should have gone with him."  I began to panic.  "Why did I have to stay?"

Dart tried to calm me down, but I was too frantic, upset, and scared of what might happen to Albert.  Finally we stopped and Dart turned to me. 

"I know how much you love him.  Now is the time to prove your love…now let's go save Albert."

I nodded in understanding and we began to run again.

*That's the end of chapter 2.  I hope that you liked it.  Reviews are always welcome. J


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm really, really, really sorry for not updating in such a long time. I have been very bad.*pouts, walks over to the corner and sits down looking helpless begging for forgiveness.* I have been getting distracted by school and such, but I will try my very best to work on my story and get it updated faster. Anyway.the story is now taking place in the present. I hope that you liked reading the story from Lavitz's point of view. I liked writing it that way, but I have to go to present day in order for the story to work the way I want it to.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own this game. Everything to do with Legend of Dragoon is owned by Sony and Squaresoft.  
  
**********  
  
Lavitz ran as fast as his legs would let him. Until, finally he couldn't take it anymore and gave up, collapsing onto the ground. His heart was too torn to do anything but worry about the possibilities that the outcome would have to offer. He had no idea what could possibly happen to his love, Albert. Neither did anyone else. No one knew what to do at this point in time and they weren't about to give up so early.  
  
Dart helped Lavitz up off of the ground and supported him as they went to the forest where everyone had been waiting for them. Upon their arrival, everyone rushed to Lavitzs' aide. Everyone's eyes were directed at Lavitz and they all wanted to say something, anything, to make him feel better. They already knew that no words spoken could ever make Lavitz feel any better about this situation. Everyone else was also fearful of what might happen to Albert, but no one knew where to start. Finally, Haschel took the first initiative and spoke to the whole group.  
  
"We can't just stand here and stare at each other. There is a crisis at hand and we all have to snap out of it, if anyone hopes to be of some help in saving Albert. Let's all put our heads together and think damn it!"  
  
Lavitz regained himself and stood there looking to everyone. His eyes filled with tears and he began to shake from the fear that had taken over. He walked over to where Haschel was standing and spoke.  
  
"As you can all see, this has been a dramatic experience for me. I finally found the one I love and now he has been taken away from me. I have no idea what I am supposed to do and I need all of you to be here with me. I need every one of you to help me save him. I can't do it on my own. I don't have the strength and courage at this point in time. That is why I am pleading to you all."  
  
Lavitz bowed his head down, staring towards the ground. He crouched down and sat there on the ground, like a lost puppy. He lifted his head to look around at the group of people standing in front of him. Suddenly, the tears began to spill over and run down his cheeks. The sounds of his sorrowful whimpers filled the air and they all stood there with their own tears forming in their eyes.  
  
"Don't any of you have an idea?" Dart yelled.  
  
No one answered.  
  
"Let's be on our way then. If no one has a plan, then just standing around here won't do any good. I can't just stay here and feel sorry for Albert. Whomever wants to save him, better come along now."  
  
Dart's words struck Lavitz with ferocity and he couldn't believe his ears. All of his strength had been depleted and he hadn't realized how much of a bother he had become. He sat there for a few moments longer and then he stood up and wiped the tears from his face. Lavitz looked around at the group and saw the anticipation in their eyes and he knew that this had to be the best thing to do. He gathered his things and headed over to Dart. Lavitz placed a hand on Dart's shoulder and nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"I have been selfish. Who knows what they may be doing to Albert at this point in time or even if he is still alive. I have faith that he is still breathing. Dart has made me realize the mistake I have been making. I will go with him and save Albert. I would like it if all of you would come along. If for some reason you don't feel the need to go, then I suggest you leave." Lavitz stopped and looked around at everyone's shocked faces. "Let us be on our way."  
  
The sudden change that had happened in the last few minutes stunned the group. What was once a plea for help was now an order? The other five companions, besides Dart and Lavitz all began to walk over to them.  
  
"None of us are going to leave. We are all in this together and that is a fact. We are all willing to risk our lives, no matter what, in order to save Albert. Don't you ever think any different about our intentions." Rose declared to Lavitz.  
  
From that moment on, none of them talked to one another in fear that an additional situation of this sort would ensue. All of them walked off and out of the forest and headed to Hellena Prison. Once they made it there, what they found came as a complete shock.  
  
Lavitz ran up to the gate of the prison and peered in to see what was going on. He saw that a few guards were holding onto Albert and dragging him along, over to a wagon that was near the entrance. Albert tried with all of his might to shake the guards off of him, but once he was able to get one guard off another seemed to come and take his place. He tried his best to get free, but no matter how hard he struggled it was no use. Albert soon began to grow weak and limp in the guards' grasps and they were able to load him onto the wagon and chain him to the side. Lavitz stood there a bit dismayed at what he had just witnessed and he called out to him.  
  
"Albert! I'm here now Albert. Can you hear me?" Lavitz desperately yelled out to his love, hoping that he would have the strength to at least look at him.  
  
At the sound of Lavitz's voice, Albert lifted his head slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of him. Albert offered a weak smile, trying to play everything off, like he was just fine. One of the guards noticed what was going on and ran over to the wagon. He got onto the wagon and gave Albert a violent punch to the stomach, so that he could not speak even if he wanted to. The blow hit Albert hard and his head dropped. The guard jumped down from the wagon and signaled to the others that they had company to take care of. Soon, what seemed like hundreds of guards appeared and they all began to run towards the gate. One of them ran over to the lever that opened the gate and pulled it down. The gate hit the ground with a loud thud and the battle started.  
  
The whole team was outnumbered and a group of guards ran over to each person and engaged in battle. No one could help their fellow teammates because of the outrageous number of guards that came to get rid of them. Luckily, the guards weren't too strong and the numbers soon began to lessen at a quick pace.  
  
Lavitz fought with shear determination and intensity. He wasn't going to lose Albert so soon and especially not to the enemy. Lavitz couldn't help but wonder why Albert had been taken to Hellena Prison and why there were so many guards. Everyone else seemed to be thinking the same thing as well. It didn't quite make sense to him seeing as Albert had told him that he was going to visit his uncle. Due to his lack of attention to the battle, the guard he had been fighting with, struck him with his sword. The sword sliced through the flesh of his leg and Lavitz fell to one knee in a cry of pain. Knowing that Albert was still in danger, Lavitz got back up and thrust his sword into the guard's chest. With this sudden action, the guard fell to the ground with a pool of blood beginning to seep out from beneath him. The guard weakly looked up when he noticed that someone was standing over him. Lavitz was standing in front of him, looking down. With one swift move of his arm, Lavitz swung his sword and decapitated him.  
  
Lavitz turned around just as another guard ran towards him with immense speed. The guard jumped a few feet in front of him and came barreling down on top of Lavitz, pinning him to the ground. Lavitz tried to push the guard off of him, but he could not. His leg throbbed with a surging pain and blood trickled down it. He turned his head to look at everyone else and the guards attacking them and he slowly began to lose hope.  
  
While the fight was going on Albert had been sitting there tied to the wagon. He knew he had been knocked out, but he wasn't sure for how long. When he awoke the first thing he saw was Lavitz being pinned down by one of the guards. Albert could see that his love was losing the fight and he had to try and do something about it. Desperately and as loud as he could, Albert yelled out to him. He yelled for what seemed like hours, but in reality were only a few minutes. Soon, Albert too began to lose hope. Seeing his love in pain made Albert's heart ache and he decided to try and get Lavitz's attention one last time. Inhaling deeply, Albert yelled out across the distance.  
  
"Lavitz! Laaaavitz! Get up and fight! Don't lose hope, I'm here for you Lavitz."  
  
Lavitz turned his head to the side at what sounded like someone yelling his name. He looked towards the gate and saw that Albert was now fully awake and red in the face from all the yelling. Although he could not fully understand what Albert had been yelling, he knew what it could be. Lavitz nodded his head and saw that Albert noticed this gesture and nodded back to him. He knew what he had to do and he regained his strength now knowing that Albert was fine.  
  
Lavitz reached out to the side to where his lance had fallen when the guard came down on him. The guard was still on top of him and keeping him from moving. His hand reached the lance just as the guard realized what he was up to. Lavitz took the lance and jabbed it into the guards' side, causing him to yell out in excruciating pain. Lavitz jumped to his feet and pulled the weapon from the victim's side. He then raised it high above his head and sent it flying down into the guard's neck. With a quick twist and a spurt of blood, the guard was dead.  
  
The battlefield in front of Hellena Prison was a gruesome site. Dead bodies were scattered everywhere. You couldn't take 2 steps without stepping into either a pool of blood or walking into a dead body. The air was filled with the stench of sweat and blood from the battle that had just ended only moments ago.  
  
All of the comrades walked over to one another and gathered by the gate. Everyone was catering to their own wounds and they were just happy to be alive after how many guards had come after them. They all looked wide-eyed at the horrific scene in the front yard of the prison and no one could get over how many lives they had just taken. A dark gloom over shadowed them all and the hatred that was once in their hearts had now turned to sorrow. There was no way that they could have avoided the battle that had just taken place, but even so, they didn't feel quite themselves. Dart was the first to speak.  
  
"They deserved what they got! Don't just stand around and look down.Albert, our friend, the king was in danger and we are his bodyguards. It was the only thing that we could do."  
  
Everyone stared at Dart and had to think for a moment. They snapped out of it and decided that they had better get Albert out of here unless they wanted to get themselves into even more danger. They may have been saving Albert, but they weren't brutal murderers by nature and they had never fought in a battle like that. The site lingered in everyone's minds.  
  
The gate had been broken while the battle had been happening. There wasn't much left of it and only enough so that they could get over to the other side, one by one. Lavitz was the first to cross and he immediately ran over to the wagon were Albert sat and stared on in bewilderment. Lavitz reached him and ran over to the chains that bound Albert and used the key that he had gotten from a dead guard to unlock the chains. Albert was thankful to have his arms back and rubbed them to try and relieve the soreness. Lavitz jumped onto the wagon and kneeled down to wrap his arms around Albert. He looked into his eyes and gave him a long and deep kiss. Lavitz pulled away and spoke.  
  
"I can't believe that all of this has happened. You have gone through so much in the past couple days. Did they hurt you much? Are you alright?" The concern was very apparent in his voice and he continued to speak. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't here to protect you. I should have gone with you.its all my fault."  
  
Albert reached out a hand and put a finger to Lavitz's mouth to silence him. He began to speak gently.  
  
"Lavitz.you have to calm yourself. As you can see I am still alive and I'm doing fine." Albert moved his hand on Lavitz's face and lightly stroked his cheek. "Don't blame yourself for anything. You had nothing to do with this. I was the stupid one and I'm the one who is to blame for going off on my own. I told you that I had brought guards of my own to protect me.but that was a lie. I thought I would fine by myself.neither one of us knew that something like this could happen. Please stop blaming yourself"  
  
Albert looked long and deep into Lavitz's eyes and smiled a little. He knew he had been dim-witted not taking his guards along. But, he wanted to be alone and have time to think. At this point in time, he still didn't know why he wanted to be alone for he had nothing to doubt or think through. Even so, he had a smile upon his face because Lavitz was now here with him and he had saved him from his impending doom. Albert leaned in and kissed his love, slowly pulling away to look at him once again. Lavitz had tears forming in the corner of his eyes and he held Albert tightly, never wanting to let go.  
  
"I don't want to have to break away from this embrace, but there is still some trouble that needs to be attended to," Albert said.  
  
Albert pulled away from Lavitz and kissed him once again. He then stood and jumped down from the wagon. He stood there and looked out to his comrades and spoke to them all.  
  
"I thank all of you with my entire heart for coming to save me. You all risked your lives for me and that shows me just what great friends I have."  
  
Dart spoke out, "Your important to us.not just us, but to your kingdom. We never want to lose you and we will all fight for your protection."  
  
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and Albert took a quick glance at them all.  
  
"There is still a crisis.my uncle, Emperor Dole, has also been captured and he is still inside the prison. We had met up half way and somehow the enemy found out about us meeting each other. I still have no idea what is going on but I would like to investigate this further."  
  
Lavitz got up and jumped down from the wagon and stood beside Albert. He turned his head to look at Albert and then scolded him for what he had done.  
  
"You shouldn't have gone off by yourself. You know it's dangerous and you still haven't finished all of your training. I don't want to ever lose you.please promise me that you won't ever go off by yourself again."  
  
Albert turned to Lavitz and wrapped his arms around him. He kissed him deeply and then pulled away and put his mouth to his ear.  
  
"I promise I won't do that ever again. I know I was being stupid.forgive me?"  
  
"Of course I forgive you." Lavitz trailed off and then spoke lightly again. "You know how much I care for you and I almost had a heart attack when I found out that you had been captured."  
  
"I'm sorry.I know I won't be able to say that enough, but I truly am. I love you Lavitz and I will do anything for you to make you happy."  
  
With that Albert pulled away and looked into his eyes and saw that a tear had fallen down Lavitz's cheek. He lifted his hand and gently wiped away the tear. Lavitz put his head down on his shoulder and whispered into his ear.  
  
"You know you are going to have to make this up to me." The corners of his mouth began to grow into a smile and he pulled away to see what reaction he would get.  
  
Albert just stared at him a little shocked and then he asked, "Would you like to tell me how I will do that."  
  
Lavitz blushed a little when he replied, "I think that you can figure that one out."  
  
The two just stood there a moment longer just staring at each other. Then, Dart walked over to them and put a hand on each of their shoulders.  
  
"I know that this is a joyful reunion, but Albert, you said that Emperor Dole is still in the prison. I think that we should get in there and rescue him.then you two can spend all the time in the world together."  
  
The two lovers just stood there. Both of them had completely forgotten what they still had to do. Lavitz and Albert had been in their own world where no one else existed and they were a little embarrassed about what they had done. But they soon got over that and became serious. They gave each other one last kiss and pulled away. The two walked over to join the rest of the group and apologized for not realizing that there was still something that they had to do. All of them checked their equipment and got everything organized before they entered the building. The whole group hoped with all of their being that they wouldn't have to go through another horrific battle. They all nodded that they were ready to go and they began to walk over to the entrance of the Hellena Prison building.  
  
*Well.there ya go that's the end of chapter 3. I hope that you all enjoyed it. It's quite different from the others. But, anyway I look forward to hearing what you have to say. Now.I bid you adieu. 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Hahaha!!! I bet you all thought that I was gone for good. Surprise! I'm back and ready to get things going once again. I lost my inspiration for awhile.well, more like a year, but do the details really matter? Seeing that it wouldn't be fair to just leave everything as it is for those that want more, my muse is back and ready to help me.YAY!!! Also, I do agree with the amount of soldiers being a little excessive in the last chapter but it at least adds to the excitement. At least I think it does.maybe not.but then again.hmmm.*sweatdrop* Am I the only one who thinks so? Ummm, ya *nervous laugh* Ahem.let's get on with chapter 4, shall we? Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own this game. Everything to do with Legend of Dragoon is owned by Sony and Squaresoft.  
  
*********  
  
As the seven comrades entered Hellena Prison, they were met with an unexpected surprise. The whole place was filled with a hazy layer of smoke that obstructed everyone's view. The lighting was minimum and with the addition of the smoke, it made it difficult to see any further than a few feet ahead of yourself. No one moved from the entrance, all of them afraid of what may lye ahead. The members of the group looked around with a gaze of bewilderment as they attempted to adjust their eyes to the new surroundings that appeared before them.  
  
"Why is all of this smoke here?" Lavitz inquired.  
  
"That I could not tell you. It truly is strange," Albert replied to Lavitz's inquiries. "No smoke was present when I was first in here."  
  
"Somehow, I don't trust this place so much anymore," Dart added.  
  
"I agree with you Dart. This place is really giving me the creeps.do we really have to be here? I mean, can't Emperor Dole take care of himself?"  
  
"Meru! Don't talk like that! We can't just turn back now. Emperor Dole may not be as important as Albert is to you, but he still needs our assistance." Haschel exclaimed with the disappointment apparent in his voice.  
  
At that remark, Meru jumped back a little and lowered her head. She felt ashamed at what she had just said and made a mental note not to make anymore mindless remarks. She averted her eyes to hide the tears that were beginning to form. But, nobody would have noticed anyway because of the sheet of smoke that was surrounding them. Unexpectedly, a loud crash could be heard somewhere further into the prison. Everyone moved closer together after hearing the noise and looked around nervously, expecting the worse.  
  
"W.what was that?" Meru asked worriedly.  
  
"I have no idea, but there's no use standing around here. We'll never get to the bottom of this and save Emperor Dole if we don't proceed," Dart replied to Meru's outburst.  
  
The group double-checked to make sure they were completely prepared for battle and proceeded through the hazy air surrounding them. As they continued onto the next room, the smoke thickened and the air was beginning to become difficult to inhale. If the air were inhaled to deeply, you could not escape the induction of a violent fit of coughing. This sudden increase of smoke caused everyone's eyes to sting slightly and constant blinking was needed in order to see. Even that barely did any good, seeing as the tears continued to build up, obstructing their view even more. It took them all a few minutes to regain their composure enough to continue on.  
  
Albert tried to give confidence to the group a little with some encouraging words. "We have to focus. Only then will we be able to overcome this obstacle swiftly."  
  
"Easy for you to say," Meru mumbled under her breath, trying to make sure that her comment would be kept to herself.  
  
Using the wall as a guide when the smoke refused to let up, they approached the room containing the prisoner cells. Crackling of wood could be heard coming from the area just up ahead. Everyone reached for their weapons as they approached ever closer.  
  
"Be ready for anything," Dart spoke just loud enough for all of them to hear him.  
  
When they entered the room, they came across the source of the fire. There was a stack of wood piled up in one corner with hay hastily thrown over the top of it. They all looked around uneasily and quickly did a check on all of the cells. But to no avail, Emperor Dole was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Something isn't quite right about all of." Haschel was abruptly cut off as the enemy showed themselves.  
  
The fire still burned violently off to the side and the smoke was being averted out the door that they had just come through. The smoke had let up slightly in the area that they were at but it was still difficult to see everything. The beasts that had appeared before them didn't seem to mind the smoke at all and they stood there eyeing their prey. Spikes ran along the length of the two monster's bodies and tails, coming together at the tip, making their own cat-o-nine-tails. If anyone were to make the mistake of getting behind one of them, that person would surely be injured. Their claws were deadly razors of immense power and the hardened scales that covered the monster's bodies offered maximum protection. When looking into the beast's eyes, nothing but a cold, dark gaze would meet yours, with the reflection of the fire's flames burning brightly within them. Gazing at them caused shivers to run throughout the team members and the beasts' never wavering gaze instilled even more fear, immobilizing them all.  
  
The monsters grew tired of waiting for them to advance and lunged forward. Hesitation was not an option at this point in time and everyone had to think and react quickly. Although there were only two of these hideous creatures, their lack in number was made up entirely by the size that they displayed. Deep throaty growls were heard coming from the beasts as they stared their opponents down before pressing forward once again. When the creature's mouth opened, nothing but a cavernous black hole filled with rows of jagged fangs, sharp as daggers met the allies gaze as the once low growl turned into a monstrous, deafening roar.  
  
Albert became cornered by one of the monsters as the others focused on the one in front of them. Frantically, Albert looked around to try and find his way around the beast but there was no way out. Suddenly, he felt someone grab his arms and bring them together behind his back. The sensation of cold metal coursed through his body as he realized that his wrists were being bound. The person who had done this to Albert was now forcing him to come along into the next room and Albert had no choice but to comply with what this stranger wanted from him. He tried to yell out for help, but no one could hear him over the sounds of the hideous throaty growls of the beasts and the roar of the fire. With Albert gone, the monster turned around to face the others once again. Now that both of the beasts were in front of the remaining members, the battle began.  
  
The creatures advanced quickly and attacked with ferocious strength, despite their enormous size. The team jumped back, startled by this sudden advance. They stationed themselves and lunged in counterattack at the beast's movements. They soon discovered that their attacks seemed to be having little effect on the monsters and they had to take a step back to collect themselves. Dart studied the monster quickly and noticed that there was a bare spot on the monster's neck just below its head. His discovery proved to be successful as he leapt towards one of the creatures and stabbed it. With the entry of his weapon, the monster screamed out in excruciating pain and backed away.  
  
"Take notice everyone," Dart yelled out to the group. "The neck is their weak spot.aim for the neck!"  
  
Dart's words met their ears and they all knew what they had to do now. Everyone's attention now went to the monster's neck and they saw that the blood was streaming down from the wound that Dart had just made. The beast whimpered and winced at the pain that it had just been caused. Its companion looked over at its injured comrade and then averting its eyes back to the group. Its mouth opened so wide that it seemed like it had just unhinged its jaw and it now let out a blood curtailing howl that echoed throughout the room.  
  
"Watch out!"  
  
Someone yelled just as the beast lunged forward, taking a swipe at Dart. Luckily, Dart noticed this in advance and jumped back, just out of the monster's reach. The others ran over to his aid and took this opportunity to attack just as the monster turned its head to see them all coming. Every one of them took a swing at the repulsive beasts' neck, striking with all of their might and successfully making it cower away. It now backed away to where the other was still standing, tending to its wound. Despite the pain that the first monster was in, it now came back to stand its ground as the other stayed back. It hissed and growled loudly at all of them and it soon became savage, lunging at them constantly, missing almost every time. Its movements were random and uncertain, causing it to lose its balance. Heavy breathing was soon heard coming from the beast and even though it was becoming weaker, it still continued to dive at them. Before anyone knew what was going on, the creature staggered back to where its companion lay dying.  
  
Taking the opportunity to end it all, the team all gathered together as one and advanced to where the two pathetic beasts were, cowering and trying to catch their breath. The members split up into two teams of three so that the job would get done faster. Before the beasts had time to try and get away, they were being attacked. Blood flew everywhere, coating the walls and floor with the monsters' blood and the screams and roars of the dying beasts rang throughout Hellena Prison. After a few moments, the group stood over the decapitated creatures, breathing heavily after the long and weary battle ended.  
  
"Wait" Albert looked around bewildered for a moment, realizing that someone had gone missing yet again. "Lavitz.Lavitz is gone." Albert trailed off.  
  
"This can't be happening, please tell me this didn't just happen again," Dart remarked.  
  
Rose took a step forward and took a survey of the room. The fire had finally gone down and was now burning dimly in the corner, causing the smoke to go down drastically. "I hate to say it, but he isn't here."  
  
"Damn it all to hell," Dart yelled. "Why can't people just stop with the kidnapping already?"  
  
"We have to go get him.I just found him and I cannot stand to lose him once again." Albert said, looking around, speaking to them all.  
  
"Let's go! We don't have much time," Haschel spoke up. "If he's been gone since we first started to fight those creatures, then who knows what could have happened to him already."  
  
"Right!" The team chimed in together as they continued, walking over to the door in which Albert had been forcefully taken through.  
  
*And that's the end of Chapter 4! Sorry to leave you all hanging like that again, but you'll just have to deal with it. It might not be up to all of your expectations but I tried. Anyway, I hope that you all like it and please be sure to review! 


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